Last updated:
The best London souvenirs are the ones that feel genuinely British rather than mass-produced tat: tea and biscuits from a grand food hall, a red-bus or Tube-map keepsake, a museum-shop print, or something from one of the city's famous markets. Skip the overpriced trinket shops around the big sights.
Classic souvenirs worth buying
Proper tea and shortbread, a London Underground map print, Royal memorabilia, a Paddington Bear, or a designer piece from a department store. Quality keepsakes last longer than plastic figurines.
Where to buy them
The food halls at Fortnum and Mason and Harrods, the toy floors of Hamleys, and museum shops (the British Museum and V&A shops are excellent) all beat tourist stalls.
Markets for one-off finds
For vintage, prints and crafts, browse the markets, from Portobello Road to Camden and Greenwich. Great for unique gifts at fair prices.
What to avoid
Give the identical souvenir shops clustered around Leicester Square and Westminster a miss; the same goods cost far less elsewhere, or are nicer from a museum shop. More ideas in our shopping guide.
